If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Jerricho Cotchery vs. Mike Wallace

Perhaps I should wait a couple of weeks until the Dolphins visit Heinz to make this comparison, but Cotchery's unexpected recent TD production has certainly caused many of us to stand up and take notice.

Coming in to this season, I wondered aloud where the passing game TD production would come from, since Wallace was in Miami, Heath was starting out the year on the shelf, and Brown/Sanders/Cotchery, while solid between the 20's, weren't exactly dynamos in the red zone.

Jerricho had no TD's all of last season, and now he has 5 TD's in the last 3 games; his 7 TD catches this season are more TD catches than any other in his career, even though he was a full time starter for the Jets for 4 seasons (including a couple of 82 catch seasons and a 1130 yard season back in Jersey) and has only started 2 games for us this season.

This year, Jerricho Cotchery has 34 catches for 503 yards and 7 TD's through 10 games.

This year, Mike Wallace has 44 catches for 534 yards and 1 TD through 10 games.

Cotchery is in the final season of a 2 year, $3 million contract that a $1 million signing bonus, while Wallace is in the first season of a 5 year, $60 million contact with $30 guaranteed, and that has gotten the Dolphins 10 more catches for 31 more yards and SIX FEWER TOUCHDOWNS. So much for the big play scoring weapon. Cotchery is actually averaging more than two-and-a-half more yards per catch this season than Wallace (14.79 vs. 12.14).

Many will explain this disparity away by saying that it is much different catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger as opposed to Ryan Tannehill. Good point, but let's look at what Cotchery has done in the 10 games this season with Ben, vs. what Wallace did in the first 10 games with Ben last season.

This year, Jerricho Cotchery has 34 catches for 503 yards and 7 TD's through 10 games.

Last year, Mike Wallace had 42 catches for 539 yards and 6 TD through 10 games.

Comparing Wallace's first 10 games with Ben last year and his first 10 games with Tannehil this year, the catches and yards are nearly identical (only a 2 catch, 5 yard difference), but Wallace was certainly finding the end zone more with Ben throwing him the ball.

Wallace's first 10 games last year compared to Cotchery's first 10 games this year show us that Mike had 8 more catches for 36 more yards and 1 fewer TD than Jerricho (and Jerricho only has started 2 of 10 games this year while Mike started all 10). Cotchery once again has the better yards per catch than big play Wallace, this time by nearly 2 yards per catch (14.79 vs. 12.83).

Cotchery's going to be due a moderate pay raise (he isn't breaking the bank at age 31, though), but he seems to be outperforming the much more hyped Manny Sanders as well (who has 42 catches for 509 yards and 2 TD's with a 12.12 YPC avg in 6 of 10 starts). I could easily see us letting Sanders walk in the offseason while bringing back Cotchery on a reasonably short-term deal to go with Brown, Wheaton, Moye, and likely a rookie draft pick.

Wallace's decreased numbers and Cotchery's increased numbers are all the direct result of the quarterback with whom each player is playing. Last year Cotchery was Ben's third or even fourth option and Wallace was his first. This year Cotchery is clearly the second option and while Wallace is still the first option in Miami his quarterback is not Ben Roethlisberger, it's a guy who will be a mediocre starter or very good backup quarterback until he retires and Brown and Cotchery are playing with a HOF quarterback. It's the reason for the drop in production for Wallace and the increase for Cotchery.

Receivers don't make the quarterback, the quarterback makes the receiver, with a few rare exceptions, Calvin Johnson, possibly AJ Green and possibly Andre Johnson, that's about it folks, the rest of the WRs see inflated numbers because of the guy throwing the ball to them.

Had Wallace gone to the Patriots, Saints, Broncos, etc or any team with a top 10 quarterback his numbers would be similar to what he had last year with Ben. At some point, Steeler fans will begin to realize just how darn good Ben really is regardless of his style of play.

Wallace's decreased numbers and Cotchery's increased numbers are all the direct result of the quarterback with whom each player is playing. Last year Cotchery was Ben's third or even fourth option and Wallace was his first. This year Cotchery is clearly the second option and while Wallace is still the first option in Miami his quarterback is not Ben Roethlisberger, it's a guy who will be a mediocre starter or very good backup quarterback until he retires and Brown and Cotchery are playing with a HOF quarterback. It's the reason for the drop in production for Wallace and the increase for Cotchery.

Receivers don't make the quarterback, the quarterback makes the receiver, with a few rare exceptions, Calvin Johnson, possibly AJ Green and possibly Andre Johnson, that's about it folks, the rest of the WRs see inflated numbers because of the guy throwing the ball to them.

Had Wallace gone to the Patriots, Saints, Broncos, etc or any team with a top 10 quarterback his numbers would be similar to what he had last year with Ben. At some point, Steeler fans will begin to realize just how darn good Ben really is regardless of his style of play.

Pappy

I watched a few Miami games though and Wallace is dropping passes left and right. Fans are starting to call him butterfingers.

Cotchery has never had a QB as good as Ben throwing him the ball at anytime in his career. Unlike Wallace, Cotchery's hands and his WR skillset have never been an issue. Cotchery has always been an "A" to "A+" route runner and having a great QB is really paying off. Hopefully Cotchery doesn't price himself out of the Steelers market but maybe teams will learn a lesson from the money the Dolphins wasted on Wallace.

Playing Fantasy Football does not qualify you to be the in the front office or on the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are professionals and you are not!